


Leaves

by AmbientDinosaur



Category: Little Witch Academia
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/F, Far Future, Grandmothers, Nostalgia, Spirits
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-17
Updated: 2017-09-17
Packaged: 2018-12-30 15:34:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,465
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12111813
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmbientDinosaur/pseuds/AmbientDinosaur
Summary: What started out as a poem based on my friend Tishen’s Charoix artwork evolved into something else.This is a bittersweet and contemplative fic, featuring some very old Akko and Diana looking back at their lives, and thinking about what little future they still have left together. And what might await them after they pass away. What might the leaves of the trees tell them?While it is undeniably sad, this is not supposed to be an angsty fic. Just Akko and Diana as old grandmas being melancholic, but also sweet and comforting to each other.





	Leaves

A soft breeze gently swept over the fields outside of Luna Nova. The leaves of the two young memorial trees rustled slightly. It was an unmistakable sight up on one of the hills in the vast fields. They were growing right next to an old weathered dry stone wall, that was possibly a millennia old by now. In between them there was a simple granite headstone. The spot had undeniably been an important location for the two witches who now rested there. The inscription on the headstone was short and succinct:

 _Croix Meridies_  
_Chariot du Nord_  
 _A believing heart is your magic_

It was a late summer afternoon and the memorial hill was visited by an elderly couple. The two robed, gray-haired ladies were standing in front of the small monument, with arms linked together. Of the two, the slightly taller, silver-haired lady was holding a very elaborate bouquet with various flowers, ready to be placed on this grave.

The two witches resting on this hill had possibly been the two most influential witches to usher in the new era of magic. Their impact couldn’t be understated. Croix, the Italian genius whose research and technology had laid the groundwork for magic to be used ubiquitously. Almost every industry used magic nowadays to achieve things that had previously been impossible or infeasible without her work. However, despite that her influence could be seen everywhere, Croix had remained generally unknown to the public except to researchers and scholars.

Chariot, on the other hand, had been later hailed as a pioneer as Shiny Chariot, for the magical shows from her youth. Countless of people had been inspired by the French witch, and several witches had taken on the mantle as successors to Shiny Chariot through the decades. Some of which Chariot had taught herself while she still had been a teacher at Luna Nova. While her magical shows were remembered fondly by the general public, her true influence was not as obvious; _giving people a love for magic._ And the two whose hearts she had touched the most were now standing in front of her resting place. The two successors to her dream and the two who had changed the world.

 

* * *

 

 

Atsuko and Diana. The two elderly ladies that were now paying their respects to the late witches. The couple had just come to this hill from Luna Nova Academy, a short broom flight away. The two were wearing their regular traveling robes, that they usually wore while out on errands and such. Atsuko was wearing a robe that was cinnabar-coloured with a sash, while Diana wore a light grey robe along with a pale blue, hooded cloak. Though Diana wore the hood down at the moment, letting her flowy, silver-coloured hair be clearly visible. In contrast, Atsuko had her dark grey hair put up into a bun.   

They had decided earlier the same day to meet up at Luna Nova after Diana would finish her headmistress duties for the day, so they could go visit the memorial trees together. While waiting, Atsuko had humoured herself by teasing some of the first-year students at the academy. While she was world famous, nowadays she was mostly known as a name in witches’ history books. This let her pull off various pranks, like pretending she was a substitute teacher who had gotten lost and what not, on the young witches who didn’t immediately recognize who she was. This time, it was not until Diana came down from her office and called Atsuko’s name that the group of perplexed students had put two and two together and realized who the old Asian lady really was. Diana, who had understood what her wife had been up to, scolded Atsuko in front of the embarrassed students, before the elderly couple had gone off to the Luna Nova gardens to collect a bouquet of flowers for the grave.

Atsuko let out a wistful sigh. It had already been four years since Chariot and Croix had passed away, yet it felt like it could have been yesterday to her. Her two former mentors had acted as several roles for her and Diana throughout life. Idols, teachers, colleagues, friends. Even family. The two European witches had regularly appeared for birthday parties and other family gatherings in the Cavendish family. Their presence had been a natural inclusion.

Both of her old teachers had lived well into their onehundredfifties. An unfathomable age for regular humans, but not uncommon for witches. She and Diana were also well on their way to hit the one hundred fifty mark. It was just another year or so until then.

Diana crouched down to place the bouquet in front of the headstone. Atsuko felt nostalgic while looking around the scenery. She knew how important this spot had been to Chariot, as well to Croix. It was a spot that Chariot seemed to return to throughout life, bringing Croix with her. Chariot had discovered this hill as a child and grown fond of it. When she was still a student at Luna Nova, the young plucky red-headed girl had spent several hours practicing spells here, oftentimes dragging along Croix. The withdrawn, older student had at first been annoyed being taken to this place, but had eventually taken a liking to hanging out here as well. Most likely because of Chariot herself. Atsuko knew this not only from what she had been told from her old mentor, she had also seen it for herself in a vision when she had visited the Fountain of Polaris in her youth. Atsuko had seen Chariot as a teenage witch practicing magic from the eyes of another person, which Atsuko much later had realized that it had been a young Croix.

“Open your heart, laugh with me! **Arae Aryrha!** ” Atsuko recalled. It had been long time since she last had thought of the Words of Arcturus. Atsuko smiled, and mused. Perhaps it was at that time in that vision the two young witches had realized how much they appreciated the other’s smile? Atsuko gave a brief glance at her lifelong partner. She knew at least that every laughter and smile Diana had given her was an invaluable treasure, and that Chariot and Croix most definitely had felt the same about each other.

The old witch reminisced further about this small hill in the British countryside. About the picnics the four witches had had here together during the springs with the kids, and eventually the grandkids. About the story how Croix finally had asked Chariot to marry her while on this hill. And now, about how their spirits were resting in peace here.

 

* * *

 

 

It had been a solemn, cloudy day, that day in the late spring almost four years ago. Atsuko, Diana and several family members and friends had gathered to say farewell to the old witch couple. A traditional witch funeral was always a bittersweet affair. The funeral was held when the witch being mourned was still alive. It was in itself just the moment a witch of an advanced age chose to pass away. Witches could possibly live into their twohundreds, especially with the breakthroughs in magical medicine in the 21st century. It was just that most witches chose not to, because of either pain or sickness from their advanced age. This kind of peaceful passing had been the norm for witches since times immemorial, however it had become more infeasible and unlikely after the dark ages and the increased fear of witches. But now in a new era of magic, more and more witches were again able to do so the traditional way.

Atsuko had attended several of these funerals during the years, but this was the first where two witches would pass away _together_. She had never gotten fully accustomed to these ancient funeral rites. Perhaps it was because she had used to view death as something that just happens, that you don’t have any say in? Regardless, she had prepared to one day follow this custom too, because it was what she and her wife wanted. Just like Chariot and Croix, she wanted to be together with Diana, even in death.

The old Japanese lady recalled her old friend, former mentor and childhood idol from that day. Chariot had been weary and exhausted for quite some time, but it still felt like she had a light radiating from her. The same light Atsuko had seen as a child, well over hundred years ago, during that Shiny Chariot show. The light that had inspired her to become a witch herself.

Croix was also visibly tired that day, but also remaining serene as usual. Atsuko knew that her old teacher had not always been as harmonious but she had been a tranquil person ever since she returned with the cure for Wagandea’s pollen. That task had seemed to help her finding the way in her life and a sense of harmony.

Atsuko became aware of an otherworldly sensation that day. Both of her old teachers had seemed detached, as if their spirits were no longer fully connected to their bodies. It was a sensation similar to what she had felt in the presence of witch spirits in the past, such as Woodward the Blue Moon Spirit or Beatrix the Affectionate. It was a grim reminder that they were indeed passing away, but Atsuko was already well aware of it.

Witches were daughters of the world tree Yggdrasil after all, and when they die they return as one, a slumbering tree spirit. These dormant spirits had developed different names around the world; dryads, hulder, kodama and so forth. It was all folklore that was based on the same thing, witches becoming spirits. According to the most ancient legends, the wood spirits born from the world tree had taught the first witches how to use magic, and in exchange the witches would become spirits as well when they pass away. A bittersweet comfort, Atsuko thought, knowing that no witch truly left this world. A witch spirit may awaken from their slumber if need be. So even after saying farewell that day, they would likely meet again. However, Atsuko worried that she might pass away as well before that would happen.

It had been a quiet and somber process, after the different attendants had said their farewells to the two old witches. The two witches had positioned themselves in their desired spots, and then had been clasping each other’s hands while waiting. They were silent, the two didn’t need to say anything to the other. The two elderly witches had simply looked deeply in each other’s eyes during their final moments. They had planned it all beforehand, and had likely rehearsed the process before. Their wearied bodies slowly faded away as green wisps of magic, ascending into the skies. They smiled, and faced the attendants one last time.  
    “Never forget, a believing heart is your magic!” The two legendary witches recited in unison, what would be their final words.  
Croix and Chariot had then returned to look each other in the eyes, and gave each other a final, heartwarming smile. Their smile lasted until they had faded away completely and had left two young tree saplings that were in full bloom in their place.  
Atsuko and Diana had embraced each other the whole time, and could no longer hold back the tears. They rested their heads on each other, trying to comfort the other. The two old ladies had then been joined by their two, elderly daughters in the embrace and the four of them were hugging each other for a long while, letting them all cry to their heart’s content.

 

* * *

 

 

The old Japanese woman looked up at the swaying leaves of the two trees. They had grown quite a bit since that day, but they were still rather young and small. Every time she had gone here since their passing, she had tried to sense either of the tree spirits, but it seemed that they were still slumbering too heavily. She may have heard a whisper once or twice, but if she had, they had been so faint she could have just as easily mixed them up with her own thoughts.

Atsuko turned her gaze to her wife once again. Diana was still crouched down in front of the grave, seemingly reminiscing in silence as well like Atsuko was doing. Atsuko wondered what her elderly wife might have been thinking back on, though she was pretty sure she already knew the answer. Something that always had mattered a lot for Diana: _family._

Diana Cavendish. The longest sitting matron of the House of Cavendish since its founder, Beatrix the Affectionate. An impressive feat, but it had been her biggest fear in her younger days that she would be the last head of the family. She had been the only heir to the family, other than her aunt and her cousins. However, her aunt had had no interest on carrying the family’s legacy, and had instead been ready to dissolve the dynasty. This had left Diana the only one of the family with the burden of keeping it alive.

It had not surprised Atsuko that the happiest she had seen her wife, had been when their two daughters were born. The two new witch moms had been overcome with joy, love and relief, especially so for Diana. Diana had put all her heart working towards the revival of her family, and that it would be together with Atsuko.

Their two daughters were now almost one hundred twenty years old and almost indistinguishable in age when compared to their mothers. It was strange how she still could see them as her small children, Atsuko thought to herself. They were just old grandmas like herself! The Japanese lady smiled amused.

As a matter of fact, Atsuko and Diana had become old enough to be grand-grand-grand-grandmas. It sounded silly to be called that, and it was certainly not something that Atsuko had expected in her youth that she would become. At this stage she just prefered to be called _Obāsan_ by all the “younger” members of the Cavendish family, to prevent to be confused with Diana or anyone else of the older members of the family. She actually struggled a bit to keep track of all the family members nowadays, and her sometimes spotty memory had certainly not gotten better with age. However, helping taking care of each new generation in the family had been one of the greatest sources of happiness in her life. Atsuko had always enjoyed to be around children. Playing with the kids or telling grand stories from her past had been a delight every time to her. And ever since Atsuko had stopped traveling around the world working as an ambassador for magic, her main pastime had been spending her time with the family.

Her British wife had been much the same. One of Diana’s greatest joys in life had been telling the history of the Cavendish family and teaching their ancient magics to each new member of the family throughout the years. As the current headmistress of Luna Nova and one of the leading researchers in magical medicine in the past, Diana had been a very busy woman through her life. However, she had never neglected her family despite that. She would always appear for important events like birthday parties and graduations. Or like one of their grandkids’ first magic show. This might have made some co-workers think she was inflexible and hard to work with, but those who knew of her past and her family situation had found her dedication to her family very endearing.

Diana had succeeded with one of her grandest goals in life, to restore her family. And how! She had witnessed close to five generations of the Cavendish family after her, many of them renowned and capable witches themselves like Diana and Atsuko. It was impossible to not tell how _proud_ Diana Cavendish was of her family, and how much they all meant to her.

Similarly, it was also obvious to see how proud Atsuko was of her accomplished and affectionate wife. Atsuko continued to quietly admire her life partner. She got a quick glance of the profile of Diana’s face. Despite her age, there was something ethereal about Diana’s appearance. It was as if magic itself was emanating from her. Atsuko had thought this for the longest time, and had gotten more aware of this feeling as she had gotten older. In contrast, when thinking about her own appearance, Atsuko saw herself more like a dried wooden figurine. Atsuko had mentioned it on occasion, but Diana had always told her that this thought was downright nonsense.

 

* * *

 

 

The leaves shook once again in the wind. Atsuko let out another sigh, just as filled with melancholy as before.  
  “I miss them so very much, Diana” Atsuko said mournfully, breaking the silence the two had had since they arrived on the hill.  
Diana rose up again, with a heavy huff as she did. She went towards Atsuko and held her wife’s hand.  
  “We all do, love.” Diana replied, trying to reassure her partner. “The _world_ misses them.”  
  “I know, but.. I must say.. Our friends really are such sleepyheads!” Atsuko made a frustrated pout, shifting the mood a bit. “They’ve all said that we might meet again, yet none of them have awakened so far.”  
Despite being almost one hundred fifty years old, Atsuko had still retained some childish traits through life. Some things never changed.  
  “If there is anything I have learned about spirits, is that they are very capricious.” Diana tried to explain. “They simply do not sense the world in the same way humans do. Time has little meaning to them.”  
Despite both Atsuko and Diana had attended several witch funerals throughout life, they had yet to witness any friend or acquaintance’s spirit awaken.  
   “It’s just that.. I still can’t help but feel a bit lost without them.” Atsuko continued pensively, going back to a more blue mood. “If it wasn’t for you, dear, or the family, I wouldn’t know what I would be doing. Would I’ve found something to do anyway without you? Where would I even be?”  
Atsuko had never really been one for any deeper existential thoughts, preferring to live in the moment as it was. However, these thoughts were becoming increasingly more inevitable with her advanced age.  
   “Thank goodness you do have us, then.” Diana smiled warmly at her worrying wife.  
Atsuko returned the smile, and gave the old noblewoman a peck on the cheek.

 

* * *

 

 

The two ladies were holding hands, and slightly leaned against each other. Atsuko rested her head against her wife’s shoulder, cushioned by the fabric of the cloak. The horizon had started to become filled with orange hues.  
  “We should get home soon, love.” Diana “We do not want to be late for dinner at our own house.”  
  “I know, I know. My stomach is already looking forward to it!” Atsuko grinned, and demonstrated by patting her belly. “I can’t wait to see what our grandkids have cooked up. Just give me a minute before we get onto our brooms.”  
Atsuko eyed the headstone for a short moment. She had insisted that she would be the one to carve the inscription on it, and had managed to convince everyone rather quickly. If there was a last thing she could do for Chariot and Croix, it would be this, she had reasoned back then.  
The Japanese lady had not had much experience carving granite, but the end result had turned out to be to everyone’s liking. The inscription was concise, but heartfelt, reflecting Atsuko’s approach to things in life.  
  “A believing heart is your magic..” Atsuko mumbled thoughtfully.  
How many times had she heard that line through life? How many times had she recited it to herself as a motto? Ever since she had heard those words for the first time as a child, she had always held them close to her heart.  
  “Fufufufu..” Atsuko chuckled. “What should we have on our tombstone then, since our favourite phrase is already taken?”  
  “Akko! Do not be so morbid!” Diana snapped at her a bit. “Besides, we have plenty of options for an epitaph, my silly love. ‘Believe in your believing heart’, perhaps?”  
Diana pinched her spouse in the waist. Atsuko in return smiled contently at her partner. She had always found harmless, playful banter like this amusing.  
  “I guess I’ll always be Akko to you and the family.” Atsuko chuckled once more.  
The Japanese woman had presented herself with the nickname ‘Akko’ in her youth, but had decided to drop it once she had become a mother. It had been an attempt to seem more grown-up to her friends and colleagues. However, for most of her closest friends and her family, ‘Akko’ had managed to stick anyway.  
  “As far as I can recall, you have never told me to call you anything else since we first met.” Diana replied. “Other than ‘my love’, I suppose.”  
Diana stroke Atsuko’s cheek, while smiling softly.  
  “Still such a gentle charmer, aren’t you?” Atsuko winked at her wife.  
  “For you, everyday.” Diana beamed happily.  
Once again Atsuko got an ethereal sensation about Diana, feeling as if magic was swirling around her. Atsuko looked at her in awe for a short moment, before returning to a soft smile. Diana had not seemed to notice.  
  “Though we really should get going now, love. Otherwise, we will actually be late.” Diana told slightly concerned.  
  “Alright, alright.” Atsuko replied lightheartedly. “I don’t feel like mulling more over gloomy things at the moment anyway. And you’ve already cheered me up plenty.”  
  “I am glad that I can, my silly worrywart” Diana said, and returned the peck she had gotten earlier. “Come now, the family is waiting!”

 

* * *

 

 

The old couple retrieved their brooms they had left leaning against the dry stone wall. The two witches chanted the spell _Tia Freyre_ together in unison, and began floating slightly above the ground on their brooms.  
  “Ready, dear?” Atsuko wondered before they took off.  
  “Yes, my love.” Diana replied quickly, with no need for further thought.  
However, as they were about to leave, a sudden gale kicked up around them. The trees near them shook and the leaves rustled heavily. Diana and Atsuko started to look around themselves, and noticed a fantastic amount of green wisps of magic flying past them. The wisps begun to form into two _gestalts_ in front of them.

The two anthropomorphic apparitions then began to diverge in appearance. One had a fantastically long and flowing crimson hair, while the other had a shorter but still distinct purple hair.  
Atsuko and her wife were looking on in utter awe. It had started to dawn on them what was happening in front of them. Atsuko could feel that tears were about to swell from her eyes.

The red-haired spirit took on a final appearance. She appeared to be wearing a long, flowing dress made of white lily petals that had been intricately connected together. It had flowy sleeves that seemed to be detached from the rest of dress. The spirit had several motifs of four-pointed stars. There was a star on each sleeve cuff, another appearing as a cutout from the dress underneath the chest, and lastly, as a marking on her forehead.

The other spirit was ready soon after. The purple-haired wraith seemed to wear a black dress made of dark rose petals, contrasting with the other spirit. On top of the dress, around what would be the spirit’s torso, she wore an ornate mesh of leather bands. The spirit also appeared to be wearing a hooded cape, almost as deeply red as the other spirit’s hair. On her forehead there were linear markings, running from the forehead and then down the sides of the neck and eventually reaching out on her hands. These lines were possibly reaching every part of her body similar to arteries, but they could not be seen. Along these lines there were small node-like markings. The line markings slowly pulsated a faint green with magic.

There was no mistaking any more of who these apparitions were.  
Croix Meridies.  
Chariot du Nord.  
The two had awaken from their slumber.

Diana and Atsuko were still watching in complete amazement. Both of them were astonished by the visage of the spirits in front of them. Despite the two witches hovering a meter or two over the ground, Chariot and Croix’s spirits were towering before them.

The fantastical appearance of Chariot had reminded Atsuko of the various displays Chariot had taken as Shiny Chariot during the show she had attended as a little girl.  
It was like a lifetime ago she had seen Chariot like this, the Japanese woman thought to herself, but quickly corrected herself. No, she had _never_ seen Chariot like this.

While the spirits of Chariot and Croix may have seemed younger than their human selves before they passed away, a more proper description would be that they were _ageless_. They were distinctly otherworldly now, stemming from their dryadic nature, no longer bound to human aging.

The two tree spirits opened their eyes at last, and smiled softly at their astounded visitors.  
  “How.. are you?” Atsuko eventually asked, not able to muster anything else to say.  
The spirits remained silent, until Chariot answered:  
  “It cannot be fully described in words.” Her voice sounded ethereal and reverberating, but it was unmistakingly Chariot’s voice. “I am still getting used to see the world like this.”  
  “I can sense every flow of magic around me.” Croix decided to weigh in, also with a supernatural sounding voice. “I can sense it from you, the trees, every straw of grass around us. It is overwhelming, yet at the same time perfectly manageable.”  
  “I am able to trace the flows backwards, to sense where they came from.” Chariot explained. “I can sense right now every time you have come here since we left the mortal world. What you said, what you looked like. It is as if I had been aware of it myself.”  
  “Amazing..” Diana responded awed.  
  “It is paradoxical.” Croix said in bewilderment. “I know we both have just awakened, yet it feels like we never even left! I can become aware of anything that has happened around us since then. I liked that time when you sang for us, Akko.”  
The Japanese lady got instantly embarrassed. When she had visited the memorial hill by herself some time last year, she had eventually started singing some old songs to herself underneath the trees on impulse. Or so she had thought, at least. Apparently she had had some audience after all. Diana let out a hearty laugh in response.   
  “I wonder.. does this mean you can sense into the future as well?” Diana inquired curious.  
  “No, we cannot trace where the magic flows has not gone yet. The future remains unwritten, even as spirits it seems.” The French witch answered.

Atsuko could no longer help herself. A surge of emotions rose through her, and she could no longer hold back any tears.  
  “I’m so.. I’m so glad I could see you again.” The old lady stammered a bit because of her sobbing. “You both still make this old fart’s heart go _doki doki no waku waku_.”  
Both of her old teachers laughed, with Diana joining in. They could all clearly remember how Atsuko would on occasion excitedly shout this Japanese phrase. None of them had gotten a clear idea what it actually _meant_ , even when Atsuko had tried to explain it. To them, it simply was a phrase describing a level of excitement only Atsuko could seemingly reach.  
  “We’re glad to see you again, Akko” Chariot replied cordially. “Even if it feels like we have seen each other several times since we last met, for me and Croix.”  
The crimson-haired spirit tried to carefully stroke her former student’s cheek. It was rather difficult, due to the spirit’s sheer size. The Japanese woman tilted her head and rested it against Chariot’s hand.  
It was an inexplicable sensation, since Chariot’s apparition was actually made of magic. But it was warm and comforting nonetheless, Atsuko thought.

 

* * *

 

 

Croix had eyed Atsuko and Diana for a little while. Almost as if she was scanning them with her eyes.  
  “I just noticed something..” Croix began. “From the amount of magic emanating from you, I can tell that both of you are ready to become dryads whenever you desire.”  
_Oh_ , Atsuko thought to herself. It may have been beyond her own understanding, but the ethereal sensations she had felt from her wife had indeed not been just her own imagination. Somehow, she could sense this inherent dryadic connection that all witches have with magic, and that she had been able notice it with Diana? But not with herself?  
Atsuko didn’t know what to do with any of this. It started to make her brain fuzzy and hurting by thinking too deeply about this. She made a scrunched face while pondering.  
  “Well, today is not the day.” Diana answered. “There are people waiting for us, and I do not think they would appreciate if we just disappeared on them. Though I must admit that I had completely forgotten the time.”  
  “No, I am not really in a hurry either to become a tree today.” Atsuko replied relieved. “Though after seeing you today, I can’t say that I’m dreading it either. I will probably make an excellent sakura tree.”  
Her blunt, tongue-in-cheek comment led to a laugh from the other three present.

The laughter had led to a brief, quiet moment with everyone seemingly thinking to themselves.  
  “What will you do now, after we leave?” Diana wondered.  
  “I suppose Croix and I will have a look around here on the grounds of Luna Nova, before returning to the Dream.” Chariot answered, after a bit of thought.  
  “The Dream..?” Atsuko sounded a bit confused.  
  “Even when we were laying dormant, we have been dreaming together.” Croix began to explain. “Not only us two, but all spirits connected with the roots of Yggdrasil.”  
  “I am not sure I understand..?” Diana answered slightly bewildered. “You are all in a shared dream?”  
  “It is as a world of its own.” Croix continued. “A vast, boundless dreamscape, yet nothing nor no one is ever too far away. It is even more bizarre than how we sense this world.”  
  “We have met countless of ancient witches and spirits, some far older than even Woodward, as well as old friends and acquaintances while dreaming.” Chariot added on. “As they say, we are all _leaves on a tree._ ”

The elderly witch couple were being mesmerized in front of their old teachers, trying to comprehend the description of what would essentially be their afterlife. Atsuko felt that her head was starting to hurt again.  
  “..I think I’m getting too hungry for this..” Atsuko told in jestful tone, while rubbing the side of her head. “Ahahaha! I guess you two don’t need to eat anymore?”  
  “I think you already know the answer to that.” The Italian wraith replied with a sly smirk.  
  “We should not keep you any longer, however.” Chariot weighed in concerned.   “I can already sense that they are starting to worry about you.”  
  “Yes, I suppose we should get going now.” Diana nodded in reply. “For real this time.”  
  “I think we’ll get scolded by the grandkids, dear.” Atsuko sighed, but in a facetious manner. “Again.”

The four witches held onto each other’s hands while saying farewell. It was certainly a more upbeat and hopeful mood this time compared to the last time they had told each other goodbye.  
  “Akko, I suppose I don’t need to remind you?” Chariot asked, with a loving smile.  
The old lady beamed.  
  “Fwahaha! You know we will never forget those words!” Atsuko answered, with all of her heart.

The Japanese witch and her British wife waved goodbye at the spirits of their old friends, as they begun to fly away on their brooms. An evening breeze rustled the leaves in the trees nearby once more.  
Atsuko could see as she looked back on her broom, that Chariot and Croix had clasped each other’s hands, just like they had done when they had passed away. She smiled gently at the wondrous sight of the two spirits looking tenderly at each other.  
Atsuko then turned her gaze to her wife flying next to her. Today is not the day, she recalled and repeated to herself.  
The old witch reached out her hand to her wife while smiling at her. Diana quickly noticed, and took her hand. The two witches held hands, as they flew and entered the leyline.


End file.
